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secret agent girl wrote:... Over 8 hours last night (night before was 3 hours sleep total - all with the machine)! This is promising; I have evidence that I can adust this. ...

That's very promising, indeed! Many people have more trouble adjusting to xPAP therapy. Your willingness to explore the reasons behind the therapy no doubt make it easier for you to adjust to use of xPAP.

secret agent girl wrote:... Leak rate was 0.00 and AHI was 3.4 -- can I really be this lucky (relatively speaking, that is )? My thermostat lies to me, and my computer also fakes me out, so I have a suspicion of all electronic gadgets. ...

Ah! So you subscribe to the tryanny of innanimate objects? Join the club. Though I work in the computer industry, I have a strong love/hate relationship going with computers. They are the most fascinating things to work with (I solve the really hard complex problems that face our customers) and I tend to hate the ones with which I must work. It never fails they go casters up when I need them the most.

But surprisingly, these units probably do have your numbers correct. If you find the mask bothersome, you might even want to loosen it a bit, since a leak rate of 0.00 indicates you might be going for the Borg look -- melding the mask into your skin!

But if you are comfortable with it, it sounds as if you found the perfect mask for you. Count your blessings, if that's the case.

secret agent girl wrote:... Now, I'm just waiting for the wondrous improvement in my sense of well-being. I didn't feel bad before, but other threads have led me to believe maybe I just didn't know what I was missing. So c'mon, machine, start giving out the goodies!

Take time during the holidays to enjoy the chance to sleep. Eight hours with the machine certainly proves your body is adjusting. You are young enough you may not have had serious problems with your health to make the change dramatic. However, you might want to really enjoy some power naps. You will probably find you have a touch more energy and enjoyment of life.

But you know what will really seal it for you. After just about one week of getting good sleep if you sleep without your unit, you might discover that you feel more depressed and life is duller. Or you might wake with a mild headache. I just assumed it was lack of coffee until I woke without them when I started to use xPAP.

Good thoughts there John.

Good for you Secret. Sounds like everything is coming together for you fast. Just enjoy it and smile when you wake up refreshed and ready to go. Soon you wo'nt even think about it when you put that mask on at night and take it off in the morning. It will be normal and not something you have to do, it will just be something you do.

John, those coffee headaches, yes I remember. I had cut my coffee down over the years from pots a day to one big cup. Now my only worry if I have too much coffee is who am I going to irritate while on this caffein high? I still enjoy a cup or two in the morning but I don't feel the need for it any more.

Gerry

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What machine, mask and pressures?

It would help if you could add those items to your profile so we don't have to ask. There are lots of things that can affect that.....including the amount of time being on therapy and your body getting used to this new way of sleeping.


Den

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secret agent girl wrote:resmed s8 autoset II, current pressure range 6-20
swift lt

started on 12/16
every night leak is 0.00
"press" ranges 15.4 - 11.2 (Is this the average pressure for the whole night? The 1st night was 15.4, all others range 11.2 - 12.0)

My subjective experience is:
* I'm waking up less during the night
* waking up kinda tired and not feeling rested during the day (though not overly tired; I never desire a nap--but I never did before)
* definitely more irritable than usual during the day, and maybe more forgetful than usual

I hope that provides some clues; if not please ask more questions or just let the hypothesizing go wild!

(maybe my aura needs to be sent out for cleaning, eh Jeff? )

Those numbers tell me that your pressure range is way to wide. Your minimum pressure needs to be up closer to those average numbers (lots closer) so it can be more effective by heading off those events. I would put money on the fact that the pressure changes (and events being allowed to occur) are affecting your sleep and that's why you're not feeling rested and all those other symptoms.

Were you prescribed a specific pressure? (What did your titration study show?)

Are you also using EPR? (If so, what setting?)

Do you have or are you going to acquire the software? I realize that the ResMed machines do pretty good at displaying the "numbers" in the LCD, but actually "seeing" what's going on during the night is really the best......especially when trying to use an Auto in a range of pressures.


Den

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For the interim (till you see some other numbers), I'd suggest a minimum pressure of 10 and an EPR setting of 2. (EPR reduces the effective pressure on exhale by the number it's set to) That would give you an effective exhale pressure of 8.

The forum member GaryG posted some reports in his posts regarding his switch from APAP to CPAP (this thread).

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47535&st=0&sk=t&sd=a


Den

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secret agent girl wrote:Thanks for your help, Den; I'll read that thread now.

till you see some other numbers

What other numbers do you refer to here?

I'm not sure I understand why a lower min. pressure would be impeding progress, esp. in light of the really good AHI numbers. My sleep study showed 70+. I would have thought with the improvement in those numbers, it would result in feeling increased well-being.

I'm also curious to see what others chime in with.

Well, AHI for one. However, in your case "see if you're feeling better" would have been a more appropriate choice of words on my part.

With those pressures having to cover such a wide range (lots of changes) during the night, the changes could be disrupting your deep sleep stages or REM. THAT could be what's messing up your feeling rested. You may not be completely awakening, but if your system is susceptible to those pressure jolts, they may not be doing your sleep any good.

The vast majority of people do better on a straight, CPAP pressure. There are lots of users on this forum that will vouch for that.


Den

Wulfman wrote:... With those pressures having to cover such a wide range (lots of changes) during the night, the changes could be disrupting your deep sleep stages or REM. THAT could be what's messing up your feeling rested. You may not be completely awakening, but if your system is susceptible to those pressure jolts, they may not be doing your sleep any good. ...

I definitely agree. Secret agent girl, as I understand it, the pressure reading (on the LCD display) is the 90th (or 95th) percentile. That is, it essentially excludes the high outliers and shows that the majority of the average values were this value or less. However, you might have a pretty wild swing from low pressure to higher pressure. If that's the case, it might be better for you (less disruptive of your sleep) if the pressure was a little more consistent. This helps splint open the airway but the EPR still makes it easier to exhale. At this point it is just conjecture that is the issue. The software reporting allows you to see if those swings occur.

00XX,

Den and John's advice is solid, as usual, but I'd like to point out that you've got a wide array of confounds for determining the exact cause or causes of your present state. You could be fighting off a cold, have increased stress in your personal life or elsewhere, fail to be eating or hydrating well enough, be tired because you're catching up on a long-term sleep deficit (many of us have reported this paradoxical symptom), or any combination of those and other factors. You've been wonderfully patient so far and I'm sure that with a bit more patience, you'll be able to clarify your situation.

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